Finding Yourself
by Bombshell Wannabe
Summary: What happens when an FBI agent from washington DC outs one os Steph's biggest secrets? How does Batman react when he finds that she knows more about him then he does about her. Will she lose the ones she loves pr will they help her find her old friends.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi again, sorry it took this long to get chapter 1 out but im trying to work on mult. Stories at once so here it is 3 All these characters belong to J.E. _

E

My name is Stephanie Plum, im 32 years old and am currently working for my cousin Vinnie as a fugitive apprehension agent or a bounty hunter. Most of the time I end up covered in some form of unmentionable substance, or with a naked guy on top of me( and not in the good way either). None of those things are happening right now but something equally unpleasant has soared in to compete for my attention. The FBI are never a good thing so FBI you've know forever is extra bad for your nerves. FBI agent Seeley Booth, former army ranger and best friend was spinning me around in front of not only my on and off boy friend and cop Joe Morelli, but my batman and mysterious mentor Ricardo Carlos Manoso AKA Ranger. When he put me down his face showed it just dawned on him that he might have just outed my biggest secret, yeah he was going to get it later.

"Um," i stuttered," what are you doing here?" I know its harsh but really, I just didn't have it in me to be polite in this situation.

"Its nice to see you to Hun, im here to help out ranger here with a case." That made no sense, Ranger asks me for help when he has a a problem or at least tells me, why would he bring a guy all the way from Washington DC to help with a case?

"so um how do you two know each other," I eyed booth, trying to see if he was hiding something. He gave me the look that signaled he would fill me in later.

" So Cupcake, how do you know Booth?" That question was said in a light carefree way, but the underlying edge was still there.

"We grew up together, I haven't seen him sense we were about 25." The hint of sadness must have been evident in both of our faces if the tightening in my voice was any hint.

" Babe, I think we need to talk," I knew he must have done extensive research on me when we first met, and realized that Booth never lived in New Jersey. Therefore I could not have grown up with him without there being a serious lie being told. I knew I could trust him but there was always the chance that he would hate me by the end of my tale.

"Yes. I think we do," I managed to squeeze out a small smile for Booth before walking towards my doom/the Porsche.

_Please review! It keeps me from doubting myself!_


	2. Chapter 2

_So I was thinking about making you wait a while for this but after all the reviews and story alerts I'm just trying to get it out for you as fast as I can!_

_ E_

_ These Don't belong to me =(_

_PS- I Don't know how to get a beta I've been informed that I need one... so if anyone could give me a hint as to how to get one that would be great! OK on with the story =)_

I was torn between the fear of him not excepting the truth, to being angry at him for finding out. I could feel his eyes on me, searching for something but I was suddenly very fascinated with my shirts hem. "Whats your name?" The question came as such a shock both because of the timing and because of the air of calm it was delivered in.

"My name is Stephanie, but you can call me Steph," I thought the humor might be a good distraction right now but Ranger fixed me with a hard stare so I shut up. "My name really is Stephanie Plum but I grew up in this boarding school type thing for _troubled_ children. You went to stay with another family so they could try and straighten you out. I guess it scared my parents, my need to fly," The last part I said quietly, regretfully.

"That still doesn't explain how you grew up with Booth,"Ranger stated scowling. I've never seen the man so impatient the whole time I've known him. "Im impatient because I Don't know that the hell is going on! That's not something I'm used to!" Oops I've got to stop talking out loud.

"I'm sorry its just weird for you," I backtracked, "Booth's parents didn't want to have to deal with there son. They thought he was bad or something crazy like that," This conversation was going to get harder when he figures out the missing piece involves him. When he didn't respond I continued, "He used to get in fights over stupid things so instead of talking to him like normal people, his parents shipped him down to Louisiana to get _ straightened out_."

"So how long did it take you to get straightened out?" I could hear the hint of a smile in his voice and gave him a world class burg glare.

"Oh I was aloud to come how in a year because they could find nothing wrong with us, but we convinced them to let us stay a few more years," It was strange thinking about that time when everything was perfect. "It was just me, Booth and Alex. We did everything together," I couldn't keep the tears from coming then, just a few slipped out at the mere mention of his name. "We'd come back every summer from the time we were sent back home till we were 25. It seems silly now," I trailed of at that point, holding my breath to see what he said.

"Why'd you stop going?" It was an expected question but one I really, really did not want to answer. I guess my hesitation showed on my face because he grabbed my hand, trying to tell me he understood.

"When Alex turned 18 he decided he wanted to join the army, he wanted to make his family proud even though they already were. So Booth went with him and they did great, they were the best of the best at everything they did. They were Rangers like you, and they had put them in deep. The calls and letter got less frequent and soon I wouldn't here from then for months. When Booth got out he thought Alex would to, but he went in for another term. Three years ago were told that he was MIA and a two years ago we were told that he had died. I fell apart and so did Booth. He spent his time throwing himself into work and I spent mine trying to find Info on him, because it was like he'd just dropped off the face of the earth and his parents didn't know anything and no one would tell us anything," I knew I must sound hysterical but I haven't had to relive this for years and I liked it that way.

Ranger had a strange look on his face, like he couldn't figure something out. "Babe, His name was Alex what?" That question was enough to make my blood run cold, he wasn't supposed to know who it was! I wasn't ready to tell him, but I had to.

"Alex Manoso," came out as just a whisper........

**HAHAHAHA I'm evil leaving you with this! Review and the update will come sooner!**


	3. Chapter 3

_OK so I'm super sorry this took a while to get out but I've been really busy with my end of he year dance and stupid tests! So here it is! =)_

_ps. sorry for the book part if you thought it was boring I just felt it went with it and expressed the way she might have been feeling then. OK so on with the story!_

_They Don't belong to me! =(_

He just looked at me in stunned silence for awhile, like he knew the answer but he didn't want it to be true. "So you must be the girl my parents told me about," his face shows some sort of regret so deep I couldn't even fathom what it was for.

"He used to talk bout you sometimes to, he said you should be nice to your parents. He thought that was his biggest mistake. That he hurt his family," I bit my tongue hoping what I said wasn't to personal, Ranger never liked his life out in the open.

"He was a lot like me but I was sent away earlier to live with my abuela in Miami. He got straightened_ out _way sooner then I did, he was right. I should have been a better son when I was younger, but I was stupid," It was my turn to me stunned, Batman was sharing his life with me and I didn't even have to beg!

Your parents always spoke highly of you, they told me you always judged yourself more severely then your worst enemy. Alex was that way to. Nothing he ever did was good enough for him, even when we all thought he was perfect," there was a thoughtful silence that filled the car and I realize that we had stopped moving and had arrived at Rangeman a while ago.

"When was the last time you saw him?" It was a strange question, something in his voice was off when he asked it.

"That day on the tarmac and all I could think about was a passage from one of my favorite books. It scared the hell out of me thinking I was making the same mistake. It hurts to know I really dd after all," I didn't want to tell him the quote, I Don't even know why I said it.

"Which book? Maybe I've read it," that book made be bawl like a little kid it was so sad.

"_LetThe Great World Spin_," Rangers face was hard as stone when I looked over, he must have read the book. I hope he understands where I'm coming from.

"Ive read it, which part did you think of," the door handle became quite fascinating, almost to the point that I couldn't respond.

"She wanted to tell him so much , on the tarmac the day he left. The world is run by brutal men and the surest proof there armies. If they ask you to stand still, you should dance. If they ask you to burn the flag you should wave it. If they ask you to murder, re-create. Theorem, anti-theorem, corollary, anti-corollary. Underline it twice. Its all there in numbers. Listen to your mother. Listen to me Joshua. Look me in the eyes I have something to tell you. But he stood there, buzz haired and red cheeked, in front of her, and she said nothing. Say something to him. Tell him. But she just smiled. Solomon pressed a star of David into his hand and turned away and said: be brave. She kissed his forehead good-bye. She noticed the way his uniform creased and uncreased in perfect symmetry, and she knew, she just knew, the moment she saw him go, that she was seeing him go forever. Hello central give me heaven I think my Joshua is there," I said the all to familiar words without even thinking, they just flowed live acid from my lips burning as they came out. Ranger nods but it feels automatic, hard and cold. I knew I had just bashed the way he lived but that was how I felt, and in my mind he wasn't a solider he was batman. It was time to change the subject or this was not going to end well, "I spend about 9 Christmases with your family, and like, 3 summers," maybe that would keep him from thinking about my previous comment.

"I Don't think I've even spent that many with my family here," I guess that was all he had to say on the subject.

That was fine talking about the Manoso family was one thing that made be feel a sort of peace, something you don't get from my family. "Whys Booth here?" It wasn't a planned question, I just really needed to fill the silence that was quickly taking over the car.

I suppose it really was a random subject change and Rangers face was evidence of that,"I told you already, he is just helping me with a new case." And there you go folks, the master of vague answers and mysterious acts. I made sure my annoyance was plainly written on my face while I slightly pouted in my seat waiting for some useable answer.

"What would you say if I told you he was still alive? What if I said he was just a few miles from you? What would you say?" His words hit me like a mac truck running in to the side of you and my first thought was, holy fuck!(eloquent I know, but cut me some slack here) Hes got to be joking, playing some sick joke on me. I must have made some strangled sound because he made a move to help me but I backed away. My last thought before my vision started getting blurred was, 'why do these Manosos always end up breaking me in one way or another?' and then the darkness took me.


End file.
